Americans United - kentuckyhttps://au.org/tags/kentucky
enSubsidies Sunkhttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/subsidies-sunk
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>After years of complaints by Americans United about Kentucky’s ongoing taxpayer assistance for Ark Encounter, a Christian fundamentalist theme park being built by the creationist ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG), state officials finally got the message.</p><p>“[I]t is readily apparent that the project has evolved from a tourism project to an extension of AIG’s ministry that will no longer permit the Commonwealth to grant the project tourism development incentives,” Bob Stewart, secretary of Kentucky’s tourism office, told AiG Dec. 10. “The use of state incentives in this way violates the Separation of Church and State provisions of the Constitution and is therefore impermissible.”</p><p>Led by Australian creationist Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis has evolved into a leading force for promoting “creation science.” Despite its clear sectarian bias, the ministry applied for a 25 percent sales tax rebate through the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet for Ark Encounter, a theme park that will feature a 510-foot replica of Noah’s Ark – assuming the park is completed.</p><p>The application received preliminary approval in July, and since the project is expected to exceed $73 million, final approval would have cost the state up to $18 million in lost sales tax revenue. (See “Rough Sailing,” October 2014 <em>Church &amp; State</em>.)</p><p>The state’s reversal surprised many observers. It seemed likely that the project was headed for final approval, given Kentucky officials’ earlier favorable comments about the fundamentalist project.</p><p>Protests by Americans United and other groups undoubtedly helped put a stop to this this blatant misuse of public funds.</p><p>The overtly religious enterprise, dubbed the “Ark Park,” first sailed into stormy seas in August when AU informed the tourism cabinet that AiG had posted online an opening for a computer-assisted design technician to work at Ark Encounter.</p><p>That job post was later removed, but in the August description AiG said applicants must submit a “[c]reation belief statement,” as well as “[c]onfirmation of [their] agreement with the AiG Statement of Faith.” That “statement of faith” required potential AiG employees to affirm their belief that homosexuality is a sin on par with bestiality and incest, that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that the Bible is literally true. Anyone who doesn’t agree with those statements would not be considered for the job.</p><p>AiG tried to explain away the posting by saying that the position was with AiG rather than Ark Encounter, but the original heading for the opening, “Answers in Genesis, Careers at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum - CAD Technician Designer, Ark Encounter,” cast doubt on that assertion. Ark Encounter attorney James Parsons also tried to assure Stewart that his client would “comply with all applicable federal and state laws” on hiring shortly after AU made its complaint. </p><p>It was clear that Ark Encounter had no intention of doing that. Blogger Dan Arel, who has closely followed the controversy, noted that the blatantly discriminatory hiring practices remained in place. When an anonymous reader of Arel’s “Danthropology” blog applied for the job, he received an email in response informing him that he would have to confirm that he was in “100% agreement with our Statement of Faith.”</p><p>All of this may have given Kentucky officials some jitters. Stewart noted in his rejection letter to Parsons that the project is clearly evangelistic in nature – something Americans United had pointed out repeatedly and even AiG did not hide.</p><p>Answers in Genesis envisioned the park as a kind of fundamentalist Disneyland, a place where visitors would be simultaneously entertained and evangelized. According to the project’s own website, “The purpose of the Ark Encounter is to point people to the only means of salvation from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, who also is the only God-appointed way to escape eternal destruction.”</p><p>Americans United argued all along that this clear emphasis on evangelism made the park a poor candidate for taxpayer subsidies. Such an enterprise, AU asserted, would be best supported with money raised from believers in the ministry’s mission, not Kentuckians at large.</p><p>State officials eventually accepted AU’s argument.</p><p>It was certainly positive news that AiG received this formal rejection, although the timing was a bit of a surprise. Just five days after AU made its complaint about AiG’s hiring practices, Stewart told AiG that the job posting raised “serious concerns” and “[t]he Commonwealth doesn’t believe that Ark Encounter, LLC will be complying with state and Federal law in its hiring practices.”</p><p>As a result, Stewart said, “we are not prepared to move forward with consideration of the application for final approval without the assurance of Ark Encounter, LLC that it will not discriminate in any way on the basis of religion in hiring.”</p><p>The timing of Kentucky’s tax subsidy denial was almost comical. AiG had been on the defensive since August thanks to AU’s complaint and Stewart’s subsequent warning about the tax rebate. The ministry decided to respond to all of this in a curious way: It began running a multi-million dollar ad campaign consisting primarily of 16 billboards throughout Kentucky promoting Ark Encounter and attacking “intolerant” groups like AU.</p><p>“To all our intolerant liberal friends: Thank God you can’t sink this ship,” read AiG’s billboard, which was festooned with a large depiction of the ark. AiG also said it bought a 15-second digital video display that ran in New York City’s Times Square.</p><p>The billboards and the digital ad may have backfired, however. Some critics began asking why AiG needed taxpayer help for the park if it had money to blow on glitzy ads in New York City. (After Stewart’s letter was released, AU responded with its own cheeky graphic that showed a floundering ark headlined, “Looks Like We Sunk Your Ship.”)</p><p>In any case, it seems that the ministry’s efforts simply came too late.</p><p>Despite this victory for church-state separation, the story is far from over. The Ark Park has already received significant assistance from state and local lawmakers, including a 75 percent property tax break over 30 years from the City of Williamstown (a town of about 3,200 near where the park will be located); an $11 million road upgrade in a rural area that would almost exclusively facilitate traffic going to and from the park; a $200,000 gift from the Grant County Industrial Development Authority to make sure the project stays in that county; 100 acres of reduced-price land and, finally, a $62 million municipal bond issue from Williamstown that has kept this project afloat.</p><p>There’s also the possibility of a lawsuit over the now-denied tax rebate. AiG officials have been threatening to file a lawsuit over the matter. They even went so far as to claim that the ministry actually has a First Amendment right to tax credits, despite being a religious enterprise.</p><p>“We’re hoping the state takes a hard look at their position, and changes their position so it doesn’t go further than this,” Mike Zovath, co-founder of AiG and head of Ark Encounter, told Reuters in October. Zovath added that he believes that the state’s refusal to fork over the money would violate the organization’s First Amendment and state constitutional rights.</p><p>At press time, it was not known whether or not AiG planned to file a lawsuit, but it has obtained representation by the Louisiana-based Religious Right legal group Freedom Guard. (You may not know this organization, but Family Research Council President Tony Perkins sits on its board of directors.)</p><p>“It’s well established in federal law and in Kentucky statutes, as well as every other state, that religious organizations and entities and corporations get to abide by their beliefs and part of that is that they have the ability to hire persons who agree with their religious viewpoint,” Freedom Guard President Mike Johnson told the Fox News Channel in a December interview during which he was lobbed a series of softballs by a Fox anchor. (The “fair and balanced” network didn’t bother to put anyone on to refute Johnson’s claims.)</p><p>Critics, including AU Executive Director Barry W. Lynn, said that Johnson is omitting one very important fact: Religious groups can’t discriminate with taxpayer money.</p><p>“While it is true that faith-based organizations have tremendous leeway when it comes to the hiring and firing of employees under normal circumstances, they give up some of that freedom when they start accepting money from taxpayers,” Lynn said. “No one should have the right to fund discrimination with the public purse.” </p><p>Whether or not this $18 million loss is enough to pull the plug on the Ark Park remains unclear. AU has no objection to the park being built with privately raised funds but has steadfastly opposed tax support for the evangelistic park.</p><p>Answers in Genesis has struggled to raise enough private funds to pay for the park. Despite Ham’s bluster, even some of his own supporters seem to be unenthusiastic about the project. Americans United argues that this lack of interest is a sign that even many fundamentalist Christians don’t see the value in building a theme park based on the story of Noah’s Ark.</p><p>AU hopes other states learn from Kentucky’s experience. The ongoing controversy surrounding Kentucky’s taxpayer-funded assistance for the project, AU noted, has become something of an embarrassment for Gov. Steve Beshear and other state leaders.</p><p>Beshear touted the park’s economic benefits as far back as 2010, but various delays have pushed back the park’s estimated opening many times. Answers in Genesis head Ham now says Ark Encounter will open in the spring of 2016, but some remain skeptical. Ham claimed ground has been broken for the Ark Park, but the actual level of progress made remains unknown.</p><p>For his part, Beshear supported the tourism cabinet’s decision not to award a massive tax rebate to the Ark Park.</p><p><strong>“</strong>[I]t has become apparent that they do intend to use religious beliefs as a litmus test for hiring decisions,” the governor said in a December statement.</p><p>Perhaps Beshear changed his tune because it has become clear that the Ark Park will not generate many jobs. Ham and his backers initially claimed that the theme park could yield as many as nearly 1,000 jobs, but that number has since been revised sharply downward. It has been reported that AiG plans to hire just 265 employees, 218 of which will be part time and make minimum wage. </p><p>Although Ham and his backers were quick to insist that anti-Christian bias lay behind the state’s decision to pull the taxpayer support, others saw things differenty.</p><p>In a hard-hitting editorial titled “Few questions for Answers in Genesis,” the Lexington <em>Herald-Leader</em> blasted the ministry for relying on taxpayer assistance.</p><p>“Why does God need so much taxpayer help?,” queried the newspaper.</p><p>It continued, “Really, has God been so lame spreading the good news that AIG must ‘counter the myths floating around about the Bible-upholding Ark Encounter,’ on a digital video board in New York’s Times Square? Does God need to be defended with the demagogic language AIG and its founder Ken Ham use in the holy war against ‘intolerant liberal friends,’ ‘secularists,’ ‘Bible-scoffers,’ and, the most telling, ‘agitators outside the state?’”</p><p>Concluded the editorial, “Perhaps Answers in Genesis should give up thanking God that intolerant liberals ‘can’t sink this ship,’ and ask the deity instead whether it can be built without more government handouts.”</p><p>AU’s Lynn said the editorial was spot on. Lynn said he only regrets that it took this long for Kentucky officials to realize that this project wasn’t worthy of public support.</p><p>“Kentucky officials probably woke up and realized Ark Encounter just isn’t worth all this trouble,” said Lynn. “Between years of delays, legal problems and a lack of quality jobs, Kentucky would get almost no return on its investment. Of course Americans United has been saying all this for years. I’m glad to see state officials finally listened.” </p><p> </p></div></div><a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><h3 >Ky. Officials Decide To Reject $18 Million In Taxpayer Support For Fundamentalist-Themed&nbsp;&#039;Ark-Park&#039;</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/constructing-and-refurbishing-buildings-used-religious-activities">Constructing and Refurbishing Buildings Used for Religious Activities</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park-0">&#039;Ark Park&#039;</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10839 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/subsidies-sunk#commentsA Troubled Voyage: Ky. ‘Ark Park’ Never Deserved Taxpayer Aid https://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/a-troubled-voyage-ky-ark-park-never-deserved
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Officials in Kentucky have decided not to grant $18 million in tax incentives to a fundamentalist theme park called “Ark Encounter” that promotes creationist ideas and biblical literalism.</p><p>That’s good news.</p><p>The bad news is that this project was ever considered a suitable candidate for public support. For years, the so-called “Ark Park,” a project of the fundamentalist ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG), appeared to be sailing smoothly toward a taxpayer-funded windfall. That should not have happened.</p><p>Led by Australian creationist Ken Ham, AiG is typical of fundamentalist ministries that elevate a literal interpretation of the Bible over science. In a free country, the ministry has that right. It can even build a theme park to promote that view.</p><p>But such an endeavor should be supported by the people who believe in the ministry’s mission, not the taxpayers at large. As Ham freely admitted, the purpose of Ark Encounter is to evangelize. Its goal will be to persuade people to adopt a certain view of the Bible and the Christian faith.</p><p>Again, that is all well and good – with donations raised through voluntary channels. But it’s not appropriate, or legal, to spend tax money on such evangelism.</p><p>Americans United explained this to Kentucky officials over and over again. They seemed unfazed. What made them change their minds?</p><p>Ham and his supporters had grown increasingly brazen about their desire to reap this taxpayer-provided bonanza yet still engage in blatant forms of discrimination in hiring staff for Ark Encounter. Potential employees had to sign off on an AiG statement of faith that not only affirmed biblical literalism but insisted that homosexuality is akin to bestiality.</p><p>It also appears that AiG was less than truthful about the scope and effect of the park. Initially, Ham and his backers talked about bringing nearly 1,000 jobs to an economically distressed area of northern Kentucky. But then that number dropped to about 230 jobs, most of them seasonal and part time, paying minimum wage.</p><p>Suddenly the state was shelling out $18 million in lost revenue for a small number of pretty lousy jobs. Times are still tough in many parts of the country, but no state should be so foolish as to accept a deal like that.</p><p>The sad thing is, a lot of taxpayer money was already squandered on this venture, and it isn’t coming back. A highway that will supposedly lead to the yet-unfinished park will be improved at a cost of $11 million. One town in the area floated a $62-million bond proposal on behalf of the alleged tourist attraction. Enough is enough. It’s time to shut off the taxpayer spigot.</p><p>Ham and his pals are making noise about suing over the matter. State officials should not be rattled. AiG has no case. In the United States, religious organizations have every right to spread their messages and raise money from like-minded members and supporters.</p><p>What they have no right to is what Answers in Genesis sought: a taxpayer-funded handout to pay for evangelism. </p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Editorial</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/constructing-and-refurbishing-buildings-used-religious-activities">Constructing and Refurbishing Buildings Used for Religious Activities</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park-0">&#039;Ark Park&#039;</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10844 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/a-troubled-voyage-ky-ark-park-never-deserved#commentsKy. Legislature Votes To Display ‘In God We Trust’ Signshttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ky-legislature-votes-to-display-in-god-we-trust
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Eleven legislative rooms in the Kentucky Statehouse will display signs reading “In God We Trust” thanks to a private donor.</p><p>The Lexington <em>Herald-Leader </em>reports that the signs are a temporary measure, and they will eventually be replaced by permanent displays that will show an updated version of the state seal in addition to the national motto. The Kentucky legislature passed a measure calling for the signs in 2006.</p><p>Kentucky Senate President, Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) gave an explicitly sectarian rationale for the measure.</p><p>“This is America,” he said. “I feel like this nation was and is established by God. We need to show the same respect in the committee rooms that we show in the Senate and House chambers.”</p><p>Stivers added that he was working on a “religious freedom” bill to introduce in the legislature this year.</p><p>But church-state separation advocates questioned the move, while noting that the courts have ruled the national motto is constitutional. Rob Boston, Americans United’s communications director, explained the group’s position to the <em>Herald-Leader</em>. “We just believe that government is supposed to represent everyone — the religious and non-religious,” he said.</p><p>The ACLU’s Kentucky affiliate agreed. “But separation of church and state is one of the basic principles in our country,” said spokeswoman Amber Duke. “It protects both religious and non-religious persons.”</p><p>Duke also suggested that a non-profit called “In God We Trust” encouraged the legislature to display the signs, noting the group had been “shopping these signs around to legislators in various states.”</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions-outside-schools">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions (outside schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/god-we-trust">in god we trust</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10849 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/ky-legislature-votes-to-display-in-god-we-trust#commentsLate-Breaking News: Ky. Rejects ‘Ark Park’ Funding https://au.org/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/late-breaking-news-ky-rejects-ark-park-funding
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>As this issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em> went to press, officials in Kentucky announced that they will not offer tax incentives to a controversial theme park proposed by the creationist ministry Answers in Genesis. The officials said giving tax aid to the evangelistic park would violate the separation of church and state.</p><p><strong>Look for more details in the February issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>.</strong></p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/creationism-evolution">Creationism &amp; Evolution</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/constructing-and-refurbishing-buildings-used-religious-activities">Constructing and Refurbishing Buildings Used for Religious Activities</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/tax-exemptions-churches-and-clergy">Tax Exemptions for Churches and Clergy</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions (not including schools)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10769" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/january-2015-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">January</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2015</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park-0">&#039;Ark Park&#039;</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span></div></div>Wed, 31 Dec 2014 20:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10788 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/january-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/late-breaking-news-ky-rejects-ark-park-funding#commentsAmericans United Welcomes Ky. Officials’ Decision Not To Award Public Funding To ‘Ark Park’https://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-welcomes-ky-officials-decision-not-to-award-public-funding-to
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A proposed theme park based on the story of Noah’s Ark will not receive tax incentives from the state of Kentucky, officials announced today.<br /><br />Americans United for Separation of Church and State hailed the move.<br /><br />“This project was never a good candidate for public funding,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Its purpose is to promote fundamentalist Christianity, and it should be funded with private contributions from believers.”<br /><br />Ark Encounter is a project of Answers in Genesis (AIG), a fundamentalist Christian organization that promotes creationism and biblical literalism. The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet had granted preliminary approval for the park to receive tax incentives, but today the cabinet informed AIG that it does not qualify for state aid.<br /><br />In a letter to AIG, cabinet Secretary Bob Stewart wrote, “[I]t is readily apparent that the project has evolved from a tourism project to an extension of AIG’s ministry that will no longer permit the Commonwealth to grant the project tourism development incentives.”<br /><br />In addition, Stewart added that the park can’t receive the aid because it intends to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring staff.<br /><br />Wrote Stewart, “The use of state incentives in this way violates the Separation of Church and State provisions of the Constitution and is therefore impermissible.”<br /><br />According to the project’s own website, “The purpose of the Ark Encounter is to point people to the only means of salvation from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, who also is the only God-appointed way to escape eternal destruction.” <br /><br />Over the past few years, Americans United has repeatedly urged Kentucky officials not to award tax aid to this clearly sectarian project.<br /><br />“Kentucky officials did the right thing to comply with the state constitution,” said AU Associate Legal Director Alex J. Luchenitser. “The ‘Ark Park’ project should never have relied on public aid to stay afloat.” </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/constructing-and-refurbishing-buildings-used-religious-activities">Constructing and Refurbishing Buildings Used for Religious Activities</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions (not including schools)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park-0">&#039;Ark Park&#039;</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span></div></div><h3 >Church-State Watchdog Group Says Project Is Evangelistic In&nbsp;Nature</h3>Wed, 10 Dec 2014 23:03:31 +0000Timothy Ritz10742 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-welcomes-ky-officials-decision-not-to-award-public-funding-to#commentsGood Incentives Gone Awry: Kentucky Officials Are Adamant About Propping Up The ‘Ark Park’ https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/good-incentives-gone-awry-kentucky-officials-are-adamant-about-propping-up
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ken Ham and his pals have every right to build and operate the Ark Park on their own time with their own dime. But that’s not what they’re doing. From the beginning of this enterprise, they have sought to tap the taxpayers’ wallets for their fundamentalist theme park.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>I’ve lived in the Washington, D.C., suburbs since 1986, so when it comes to museums, I am spoiled. Just a short subway ride away is the National Mall, lined with the Smithsonian museums. They are an incredible national treasure.</p><p>When I’m traveling, I try to take some time to visit local museums as well. When my children were younger, we never missed a science museum. Several cities have them now. Not only are science museums a great educational resource, they can also be a significant income generator for communities.</p><p>I understand the pull of museums. What I don’t understand is why officials in some parts of the country can’t seem to differentiate between a professional science museum and a tawdry tourist trap run by fundamentalist zealots.</p><p>Consider the case of the “Ark Park” in Kentucky. An outgrowth of the Creation Museum, the Ark Park – an attraction that will supposedly feature a replica of Noah’s Ark (more accurately, a replica of what some fundamentalist believes Noah’s Ark looked like) – has been mired in controversy for years.</p><p>The attraction is clearly designed to promote fundamentalist views of the Bible, views that stand in sharp contrast to modern science. The man behind the park, Australian creationist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis, seems to have, at best, shaky funding for the enterprise.</p><p>Yet despite all of this, Kentucky officials are rushing to pledge taxpayer support for the park. Most recently, the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Board <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/07/31/336875461/kentucky-buoys-noahs-ark-park-with-millions-in-new-tax-breaks">voted unanimously last week</a> to approve a package of tax breaks for the park, which is formally known as the Ark Encounter. The incentives total $18 million.</p><p>The park is supposed to be built in Williamstown, a small city with a population of about 3,200. Williamstown and surrounding Grant County are facing tough economic times, so it’s understandable that state officials want to help out the folks there. But surely they can do better than this. Even if the park comes to pass, it’s most likely going to offer seasonal, part-time and low-wage jobs.</p><p>Notice I said “if the park comes to pass.” It’s a big if. Ham has pushed back the ground-breaking for the park several times, and the project is mired in an <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/creationist-ark-park-in-ky-sailing-into">ongoing controversy over funding</a>.</p><p>There’s a legitimate question of whether Ham and his gang can even pull off this attraction. Attendance at Ham’s Creation Museum <a href="http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-26546-creation_museum_atte.html">has been in decline</a>, leading some people to speculate that the audience for these types of fundamentalist-tinged tourist sites may be limited.</p><p>A real science museum is able to offer new exhibits and attractions because actual scientists are always making new discoveries and adding to our understanding of human evolution and the development of the universe. At the Creation Museum, there’s no room for new research because the Bible is treated as the final word. Thus, displays tend to be static.</p><p>Just to be clear: Ham and his pals have every right to build and operate the Ark Park on their own time with their own dime. But that’s not what they’re doing. From the beginning of this enterprise, they have sought to tap the taxpayers’ wallets for their fundamentalist theme park. That’s not right. The goal of the Ark Encounter is to persuade people that Ham’s view of Christianity is true and that they ought to adopt it. The government has no business helping Ham proselytize.</p><p>Attorneys at Americans United are examining the Kentucky Constitution and the laws of the state to determine if the type of aid being extended to the Ark Park is legal. In the meantime, the state legislature has the power to deny the aid package.</p><p>Kentucky’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Greg Stumbo (D-Prestonsburg) has already <a href="http://www.kentucky.com/2014/07/30/3358423/stumbo-state-tax-incentives-for.html">expressed skepticism</a> about the plan. Stumbo called the aid package problematic “because it erects a monument with the help of state money theoretically that is recognized by a majority religion in this country.”</p><p>Here’s hoping more lawmakers agree. And let’s also hope they come to realize that propping up attractions like this only serves to embarrass the commonwealth. It’s also detrimental to Kentucky’s bottom line. Companies based in high-tech and science have good jobs to offer. Will they come to Kentucky if that state has a reputation for promoting anti-science views?</p><p>Kentucky officials should find a real engine for economic growth in Grant County – one that is anchored in actual science would be best. </p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions (not including schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/creation-museum">Creation Museum</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/greg-stumbo">Greg Stumbo</a></span></div></div>Mon, 04 Aug 2014 15:14:07 +0000Rob Boston10348 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/good-incentives-gone-awry-kentucky-officials-are-adamant-about-propping-up#commentsZip Line Evangelism: Creation Museum Opens ‘Non-Religious’ Exhibits To Expand Audience https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/zip-line-evangelism-creation-museum-opens-non-religious-exhibits-to-expand
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> According to the Dayton Daily News, Ham believes this new “family fun adventure” will appeal to a wide audience. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Falling visitor <a href="http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-26546-creation_museum_atte.html">rates</a> at the infamous Creation Museum in Kentucky have resulted in some ingenuity on the part of its founder, Ken Ham.<br /><br />In a bid to attract more visitors, Ham, who is also the president of Answers in Genesis and professes to be a scientist despite holding only a bachelor’s degree in applied science, has overseen the development of a new, allegedly non-religious exhibit. According to the <em>Dayton Daily News</em>, Ham <a href="http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/creationist-museum-aims-at-wider-audience/nZLpj/">believes</a> this new “family fun adventure” will appeal to a wide audience.<br /><br />“That’s what we wanted to see, because it will bring in a broader range of people in here and provide something for the community as well – they don’t have to go to the Creation Museum, they can just come for the zip lines,” Ham told the newspaper.<br /><br />Ham may want us to come for the zip lines, but we’re not so easily fooled. This isn’t the beginning of a new and more scientifically accurate phase for the Creation Museum. It’s marketing. It might be milder, but fundamentalist evangelism packaged as a family friendly adventure is still evangelism. The museum’s other new exhibits make Ham’s claims to inclusivity especially suspect. <br /><br />Lest we think he’s lost his touch for pseudoscience, behold Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium. Donated by a supporter, this new exhibit features hundreds of beetles, butterflies and other insects – and an animatronic professor who tells visitors that the insects are just too complex to have evolved.<br /><br />And consider the Ark Encounter. Stalled for now thanks to other new exhibits, it’s still in the works; Ham told the newspaper that he hopes to open it in 2016. The Ark Encounter will, as its name suggests, feature a replica ark based on biblical literalist interpretations of the Book of Genesis.<br /><br />If you follow us, you might remember the Ark Encounter. In 2011, Americans United vehemently <a href="http://www.kentucky.com/2010/12/02/1548034/creation-museum-to-get-wooden.html">opposed</a> Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/ark-encounter-kentucky-budget-tax-breaks_n_1220806.html">plan</a> to give a $43 million tax break to the Ark Encounter. Beshear eventually approved the tax break. Two years later, the people of Kentucky have yet to reap the alleged benefits of this project – and I imagine that building it has been quite the task, given Ham’s <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/dinosaurs-were-on-noahs-ark-says-creationist-ken-ham-101701/">conviction</a> that two of every dinosaur on Earth fit into the boat in question.<br /><br />So the Creation Museum obviously hasn’t changed its focus. It’s as religiously motivated as ever, and its new zip lines were never intended to change that. As blogger Hemant Mehta observed, the museum’s new seeker-friendly exhibit exists “…for the same reason evangelical megachurches have amazing bands open their worship sessions – it has nothing to do with the service itself, but it might draw in a different crowd.”<br /><br />Ken Ham’s definition of inclusivity is as creative as his definition of science. He may say that his new non-religious exhibit is intended for the entire community, but as long as the rest of his museum is intended to convert visitors that gesture doesn’t mean much.<br /> </p><p>His entire career has centered on peddling suspect science as a conversion tactic. He’s <a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/wwtl">referred</a> to Darwinism as a “philosophy of death” and actively encourages churches to use attacks on evolution as an instrument of evangelism.<br /><br />Ham is entitled to evangelize however he wants, but he’s not entitled to tax breaks to help fund his fundamentalist roadside attraction. And if he’s concerned about dwindling numbers, maybe he should be honest enough to admit that what he’s pushing isn’t science, it’s typical biblical fundamentalism.</p><p>Maybe, just maybe, the reason for the museum’s drop in visitors isn’t poor marketing. Maybe the anti-intellectualism Ham peddles is finally losing its cultural sway. That’s my hope.</p><p>And if that’s the case, even fancy zip lines won’t be enough to save the Creation Museum from itself.<br /> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions (not including schools)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/creation-museum">Creation Museum</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounters">Ark Encounters</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span></div></div>Tue, 13 Aug 2013 16:19:53 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones8860 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/zip-line-evangelism-creation-museum-opens-non-religious-exhibits-to-expand#commentsPrayer Panacea?: Ky. Group Says ‘Inspirational Messages’ In Public Schools Will Solve Several Illshttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-panacea-ky-group-says-inspirational-messages-in-public-schools-will
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Kentucky chapter of the American Family Association (AFA) just released a petition that declares, in no uncertain terms, that prayer in schools will take us back to Jesus and best of all, boost student test scores, lower the crime rate and even decrease the rate of HIV infection.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A Religious Right group in Kentucky is calling on parents to demand the right to deliver “inspirational messages” during public school assemblies, and they’re providing some interesting “facts” to make their case.<br /><br />The Kentucky chapter of the American Family Association (AFA) just released a <a href="http://kyschoolprayerpetition.questionpro.com/">petition</a> that declares, in no uncertain terms, that prayer in schools will take us back to Jesus and best of all, boost student test scores, lower the crime rate and even decrease the rate of HIV infection.</p><p>“After prayer was removed from our schools, teen pregnancy went up 500%, STD’s went up 226%, violent crime went up 500% and SAT scores went down for 18 years in a row, opening the door for the AIDS epidemic and the drug culture,” asserts the petition.<br /><br />Take that, science!<br /><br />The AFA blames “anti-God” forces for this moral decay and draws inspiration for their petition from new laws in Mississippi and Florida. These laws allow children to give “inspirational messages” in school assemblies. That means school prayer, according to the group, and they’re demanding that Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear adopt similar legislation.<br /><br />The AFA likely got its “facts” from David Barton, the Religious Right’s preeminent pseudo-historian, who also <a href="http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0124_When_America_stopped.html">attributes</a> pretty much every bad thing that has happened in America over the past 50 years to <em>Engel v. Vitale</em>, the landmark 1962 Supreme Court ruling that struck down mandatory, coercive forms of school-sponsored prayer<em>.</em><br /><br />In fact, the belief that if one event occurred after another, the first must have caused the second is a common logical fallacy. The two may be related, but some proof is needed, not just an assertion. This is the sort of thing you learn in day one of a course in logic or critical thinking, so naturally I wouldn’t expect anyone at the AFA to know it.</p><p>And let’s remember, the <em>Engel</em> ruling was clear: Despite these laws in Florida and Mississippi it is unconstitutional for a public school to conduct prayer. It became unconstitutional in 1962, and it’s still unconstitutional in 2013.<br /><br />One wonders what, exactly, the AFA considers “inspirational.” A quick glance at its website offers a clue. Kentucky children could learn that being gay <a href="http://www.afa.net/Radio/show.aspx?id=2147493203&amp;tab=blog&amp;blogpost=2147511183">leads</a> to disease and early death. Maybe they’ll get a crash course in <a href="http://www.afa.net/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?id=2147537526">apologetics</a> along with the traditional Three Rs. Maybe Kentucky will get its own Pam Stenzel <a href="http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201304110229">fiasco</a>. After all, who needs facts when you’ve got conviction?<br /><br />It’s clear which of the two AFA prioritizes. For all its criticism of alleged anti-religious indoctrination in the public schools, it offers nothing more substantial on its own end. Its Kentucky chapter’s <a href="http://www.afaofky.com/aboutus.htm">website</a> rather simplistically proclaims,“Some people believe in God. Some oppose God and try to prevent others from receiving the love of God.”</p><p>So many assertions, so few citations – <em>no</em> citations, in fact, to support their claims that without God, without fundamentalist Christianity specifically, Kentucky’s children will be abandoned to the “law of the jungle” and the predatory impulses of those dangerous gays. AFA isn’t concerned about education. This is just a salvo in the culture wars, and if Beshear surrenders to it, children will suffer.<br /><br />The Religious Right already enjoys a toe-hold in Kentucky public education. Kentucky <a href="http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-policies-on-sex-education-in-schools.aspx">law</a> <a href="http://www.abstinenceworks.org/what-about-my-state-mainmenu-90#KENTUCKY">prioritizes</a> “abstinence-only” education, which is probably the real source of Kentucky’s STD and teen pregnancy woes. And a recent attempt to mandate scientifically accurate curriculum in schools met with significant <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/next-generation-science-standards_n_3672418.html">backlash</a> from conservative churches and religious groups.<br /><br />Kentucky’s children deserve better. A school’s job is to impart knowledge, not dogma, even if the AFA thinks they’re one and the same.</p><p>The AFA is clearly in the wrong. They’re wrong to claim that, somehow, prayer affects rates of AIDS, teen pregnancy and SAT scores. They’re wrong on the law. And they’re wrong to pressure Kentucky’s state government to endorse religion.</p><p>Beshear should respond to AFA’s petition with a resounding “citation needed.”<br /> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/school-prayer">School Prayer</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/david-barton">David Barton</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/steve-beshear">Steve Beshear</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/teen-pregnancy">teen pregnancy</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/hiv">HIV</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/american-family-association">American Family Association</a></span></div></div>Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:40:20 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones8801 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-panacea-ky-group-says-inspirational-messages-in-public-schools-will#commentsFalse Freedom: Ky. Governor Should Veto Reckless ‘Religious Liberty’ Lawhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/false-freedom-ky-governor-should-veto-reckless-religious-liberty-law
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Kentucky &#039;religious freedom&#039; bill is a power grab. It’s all about some religious groups winning the legal right to discriminate against others and deny them certain rights.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Kentucky legislators have passed a law they say protects “religious freedom” and have forwarded it to Gov. Steve Beshear.</p><p>This morning, Americans United joined other groups in the state asking Beshear to veto the bill.</p><p>It’s not that AU doesn’t support religious freedom. Indeed, we consider the separation of church and state a necessary precondition for true religious liberty to flourish. The problem is, this bill isn’t really about religious freedom; it’s designed to do other things entirely.</p><p>The measure, House Bill 279, could essentially give Kentucky residents wide-ranging new powers to discriminate against others by citing religion.</p><p>What are some of the things that could happen if this bill becomes law? A pharmacist could refuse to provide Plan B drugs to a rape victim. The owner of an apartment building could refuse to rent to an unmarried couple. A woman who gets pregnant out of wedlock could be summarily fired from her job. The measure would also largely nullify protections for gays and lesbians that a handful of Kentucky communities have passed.</p><p>In short, the bill could end up elevating the religious beliefs of some people over the civil rights of all. This goes too far.</p><p>Americans United, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Fairness Coalition (an LGBT rights group) make this point in <a href="http://aclu-ky.org/images/stories/hb279_veto_request_2013_allies.pdf">a letter</a> that was sent to Beshear this morning. More than four dozen groups signed the letter.</p><p>“House Bill 279 does not explicitly make clear that existing civil rights protections are both necessary and appropriate, therefore elected judges throughout Kentucky’s 120 counties will be forced to decide that question on a case-by-case basis,” observes the letter. “A religious individual could claim an exemption from <em>any</em> law or policy that prohibits discrimination – leaving racial minorities, women, LGBT people, and others without adequate protections. These civil rights protections are too important, and the risk of inconsistent decisions too great, to leave it unaddressed by House Bill 279.”</p><p>The Associated Press <a href="http://www.wowktv.com/story/21607160/ky-governor-being-pressured-on-religious-freedom-bill">has reported</a> that Beshear is facing a lot of pressure over this bill. The Family Foundation, a statewide Religious Right group affiliated with Focus on the Family, is lobbying Beshear to sign it.</p><p>Religious Right groups claim that religious freedom is under fire in Kentucky because last year the state supreme court ruled that a state law requiring orange safety triangles on slow-moving vehicles could be applied to the Amish. Some members of the Amish served short jail terms rather than display the bright signs, which they consider “loud” and “worldly.”</p><p>No one should be fooled. This isn’t about the Amish. In fact, that law has already been modified to address their concerns. (The Amish have agreed to use reflective tape, lanterns and red reflector lights instead.) This bill is a power grab. It’s all about some religious groups winning the legal right to discriminate against others and deny them certain rights.</p><p>Beshear should veto this misguided measure.</p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">In the Workplace: Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Outside the Workplace: Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (including in the Military, Prisons, Housing, Healthcare, etc.)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-free-exercise-issues-including-rfras-zoning-etc">Other Free Exercise Issues (including RFRAs, zoning, etc.)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/steve-beshear">Steve Beshear</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/fairness-coalition">Fairness Coalition</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/american-civil-liberties-union">American Civil Liberties Union</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/family-foundation">Family Foundation</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/focus-family">Focus On The Family</a></span></div></div>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:37:20 +0000Rob Boston8131 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/false-freedom-ky-governor-should-veto-reckless-religious-liberty-law#commentsWhat In Creation?!: Kentucky Legislators Tout Fundamentalism, Assail Modern Sciencehttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-in-creation-kentucky-legislators-tout-fundamentalism-assail-modern
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> &#039;The theory of evolution is not science – Darwin made it up,&#039; says Kentucky legislator Ben Waide.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The other day I wrote about the ongoing disgrace of the Louisiana <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-for-scandal-the-louisiana-voucher-plan-just-gets-worse-and-worse-and">school voucher program</a>, which – among other bad outcomes – will soon be pouring millions in taxpayer funds into the coffers of fundamentalist Christian schools, some of which teach that dinosaurs might still be alive and the Great Depression wasn’t so bad after all.</p><p>I have sometimes opined that Louisiana may be just about the worst state in the country when it comes to public education and church-state separation. But I may have to apologize to the residents of the Pelican State: The Commonwealth of Kentucky has decided to give Louisiana a run for that dubious title.</p><p>On Aug. 13, the Kentucky legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Education held a hearing. It was a very <a href="http://www.kentucky.com/2012/08/14/2298914/gop-lawmakers-question-standards.html#storylink=omni_popular#wgt=pop">sorry affair indeed</a>.</p><p>Four years ago, Kentucky legislators voted to tie the state’s testing program to national education standards, reported the <em>Lexington Herald-Leader</em>. But now some of them are having second thoughts because the national science standards stress (gasp!) evolution.</p><p>“I would hope that creationism is presented as a theory in the classroom, in a science classroom, alongside evolution,” Sen. David Givens (R-Greensburg) told the newspaper.</p><p>I wouldn’t hope that if I were you, senator. Any public schools in Kentucky caught doing that are going to be sued. Your friends in Louisiana tried that tactic back in the 1980s and <a href="http://www.oyez.org/cases/1980-1989/1986/1986_85_1513/">lost at the U.S. Supreme Court</a>.</p><p>And, oh, senator, you might have heard of a case Americans United co-litigated against the Dover, Pa., school district when board members decided to teach “intelligent design,” a gussied-up variant of creationism. The school <a href="http://www.au.org/church-state/february-2006-church-state/featured/victory-in-dover">lost that one, too</a> – and ended up paying hefty legal fees.</p><p>Givens at least pretends to want “balanced treatment.” His colleague, Rep. Ben Waide (R-Madisonville), decided to go one better. He seems to want to kick out evolution all together.</p><p>“The theory of evolution is a theory, and essentially the theory of evolution is not science – Darwin made it up,” Waide said. “My objection is they should ensure whatever scientific material is being put forth as a standard should at least stand up to scientific method. Under the most rudimentary, basic scientific examination, the theory of evolution has never stood up to scientific scrutiny.”</p><p>(In case you’re wondering, Waide is not a biologist, an anthropologist or a scientist of any kind. He is a physical therapist with a bachelor’s degree in health science.)</p><p>Some Kentucky residents are bravely trying to stanch the gushing torrent of ignorance pouring out of their legislature.</p><p>Asked to comment on the matter, Vincent Cassone, chairman of the University of Kentucky’s Biology Department, told the <em>Herald-Leader</em>, “The theory of evolution is the fundamental backbone of all biological research. There is more evidence for evolution than there is for the theory of gravity, than the idea that things are made up of atoms, or Einstein's theory of relativity. It is the finest scientific theory ever devised.”</p><p>Givens and Waide might want to spend some time at Casson’s university. If they did that, they would quickly learn that top-flight public universities don’t bother to give “balanced treatment” to science and fundamentalist religion masquerading as science. They teach what the evidence shows to be factual: evolution.</p><p>Kentucky legislators have a choice. They can instruct the state’s public schools to acknowledge this reality and retain evolution in the science standards, or they can continue down the path of constitutional disaster and scientific illiteracy. They can support sound science or continue throwing <a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/kentucky-legislature-should-delete-budget-funding-to-benefit-%E2%80%98ark-park%E2%80%99-says">tax money</a> at creationist “Ark Parks” and ensuring that the commonwealth’s young people are left behind in a technology-based world economy.</p><p>What’s it going to be, Kentucky? </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/creationism-evolution">Creationism &amp; Evolution</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ben-waide">Ben Waide</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/david-givens">David Givens</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/vincent-cassone">Vincent Cassone</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/creationism">creationism</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/evolution">evolution</a></span></div></div>Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:59:13 +0000Rob Boston7440 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-in-creation-kentucky-legislators-tout-fundamentalism-assail-modern#comments